In this episode of the New Beginnings Podcast, Aarush Gupta speaks with Dr. George Deepe, Professor of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, about infectious disease, immunology, and what it means to build a career as a physician-scientist.

Dr. Deepe shares his unexpected path from considering a career in English literature to becoming an infectious-disease physician and researcher. He explains how a puzzling case involving a patient with histoplasmosis sparked a research interest that would shape decades of his career. The conversation explores how Histoplasma capsulatum infects the body, why some people develop serious disease while most exposed individuals do not, and how advances in treatments and technology have transformed infectious-disease research.

Dr. Deepe also discusses the unique role of physician-scientists in turning observations at the bedside into questions that can be investigated in the laboratory. Reflecting on a career spanning medicine, research, and mentorship, he shares one quality he believes every aspiring scientist needs: perseverance.

In this episode of New Beginnings, Aarush Gupta speaks with Dr. Doug Stockman, a family physician and educator whose career has spanned refugee care in Rochester and community-based health work in Honduras. Dr. Stockman reflects on how surviving Liberia’s civil war deepened his understanding of displacement, why trust and listening are essential to good medicine, and how poverty, infrastructure, and culture shape health long before a patient enters a clinic. He also explains why sustainable global-health work begins by treating local communities as the experts—and why physicians may not change the entire world, but can change the world for the person directly in front of them.

In this episode of the New Beginnings Podcast, Aarush Gupta speaks with Dr. Desiree LaBeaud, Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Dean of Global Health at Stanford University, about the growing threat of mosquito-borne diseases and what the world must do to prepare for future outbreaks.

Dr. LaBeaud explains how climate change is expanding mosquito habitats, why diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and Rift Valley fever deserve greater attention, and how plastic waste and inadequate waste-management systems can create breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes.

The conversation also explores pandemic preparedness, infectious-disease surveillance, equitable global health partnerships, and the role of artificial intelligence in outbreak response. Dr. LaBeaud emphasizes that while technology can help process information and guide decisions, trust, partnership, and human connection remain essential to building healthier communities. She closes by encouraging listeners to respond to global challenges not with helplessness but with collective and purposeful action.

In this episode of New Beginnings, Aarush sits down with Dr. David Dowdy, physician, epidemiologist, and professor at Johns Hopkins University. They discuss tuberculosis, healthcare access, disease prevention, and the role of public health in improving lives around the world. Dr. Dowdy shares insights from his work in Africa, explains why healthcare systems matter as much as medical treatments, and offers advice for students hoping to make a difference through medicine and research.

In this episode of New Beginnings, Aarush speaks with Dr. Abid, a professor at Brown University and nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. He is a specialist in global health and health policy. They discuss the deep-seated inequities in healthcare access across different populations, the role of policy in shaping health outcomes, and the structural barriers that prevent vulnerable communities from receiving quality care. Dr. Abid shares his insights on what it takes to build more resilient health systems and the importance of advocacy in the pursuit of true health equity.

In this episode of New Beginnings, Aarush speaks with Dr. Rochelle Frounfelker, assistant professor in the College of Health at Lehigh University. They discuss her research on refugee young adults navigating life between “two worlds,” the barriers they face in accessing mental healthcare, and strategies to create more inclusive and culturally sensitive systems of support.

In this episode of New Beginnings, Aarush speaks with Lila Chamlagai, a doctoral student at Brown University whose research focuses on mental health in refugee communities. They discuss his personal journey, the challenges refugees face with depression, and the importance of culturally sensitive approaches to support mental well-being.